Ballast plough for ballasting a track

ABSTRACT

The ballast hopper ( 14 ) of a ballast plough ( 1 ) is connected at a rear end—with respect to a working direction ( 5 )—to the machine frame ( 3 ) by means of a joint ( 22 ). A pivot drive ( 25 ) is provided for pivoting the hopper ( 14 ) about a joint axis ( 24 ), extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the machine, of the joint ( 22 ). Associated with a discharge end ( 18 ), spaced from the joint ( 22 ), of the bottom conveyor belt ( 16 ) is a transfer conveyor belt ( 28 ) for passing the stored ballast ( 12 ) on to a storage wagon adjoining the ballast plough ( 1 ).

The invention relates to a ballast plough comprising a machine frame mobile on on-track undercarriages, a plough provided for ballasting a track, and a ballast hopper configured for storing ballast, the ballast hopper having a bottom conveyor belt extending in a longitudinal direction of the machine.

A ballast plough of this type, known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,018, is employed for ballasting the track in connection with shaping the ballast bed as prescribed. To that end, it is required—in track sections with excess ballast—to store said ballast and to discharge the same from the ballast hopper onto the track, as needed.

It is the object of the present invention to create a ballast plough of the kind mentioned at the beginning which enables extended operations of the ballast hopper.

According to the invention, this object is achieved with a ballast plough of the specified type by means of the features cited in the characterizing part of the main claim.

With these features, the ballast hopper can be emptied even completely, if needed, without requiring time-consuming conversion operations to do so. Thus, it is possible to treat—without problems and in an economically optimal manner—even track sections showing substantial amounts of excess ballast.

Additional advantages of the invention become apparent from the dependent claims and the drawing description.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment represented in the drawing in which

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a ballast plough including a ballast hopper,

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the ballast hopper, and

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a further variant of the invention.

A ballast plough shown in FIG. 1 has a machine frame 3 supported on on-track undercarriages 2 and is mobile by means of a motive drive 4 on a track 6 in a working direction 5. A driver's or operator's cab 7 is equipped with a control device 8.

Arranged between the two on-track undercarriages 2 are a vertically adjustable plough 9 and a sweeping device 10. The latter comprises a rotatable sweeping brush 11 by means of which excess ballast 12 lying on the track 6 can be transported via an inclined conveyor belt 13 into a ballast hopper 14.

The ballast hopper 14 consists of a container 15 for ballast storage and a bottom conveyor belt 16 which serves as a floor surface and extends in a longitudinal direction 23 of the machine. Said bottom conveyor belt 16 has a discharge end 18 located in a front end 17 with respect to the working direction 5—of the ballast hopper 14, and a receiving end 20 located at a rear end 19. Arranged underneath the discharge end 18 are chutes 21 for discharging stored ballast 12 to the track 6, if needed.

As can be seen particularly in FIG. 2, the ballast hopper 14 is connected at the rear end 19 to the machine frame 3 by means of a joint 22. A pivot drive 25 is provided for pivoting the ballast hopper 14 about a joint axis 24, extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction 23 of the machine, of the joint 22. Associated with the discharge end 18, spaced from the joint 22, of the bottom conveyor belt 16 is an unloading device 26 for passing the stored ballast 12 on to a storage wagon 27 adjoining the ballast plough 1.

The unloading device 26 is configured as a transfer conveyor belt 28 extending in the longitudinal direction 23 of the machine and arranged underneath the bottom conveyor belt 16. Said transfer conveyor belt 28 is adjustable by means of a displacement drive 29 into a transfer position projecting beyond the discharge end 18 of the bottom conveyor belt 16. In this position, as shown in FIG. 2, ballast 12 stored in the ballast hopper 14 can be transported by the bottom conveyor belt 16 onto the transfer conveyor belt 28 and, in further sequence, into the storage wagon 27.

As soon as the ballast hopper 14 has been emptied, the transfer conveyor belt 28 is retracted into a position—indicated in dash-and-dot lines—underneath the bottom conveyor belt 16, and the ballast hopper 14 is lowered (see FIG. 1). In this position, excess ballast 12 can be discharged via the chutes 21 upon the track 6, if needed.

According to a variant shown in FIG. 3, the unloading device 26 can be designed as an unloading chute 30 which is articulatedly fastened in the region of the discharge end 18 of the bottom conveyor belt 16 and can be pivoted. 

1. A ballast plough comprising a machine frame (3) mobile on on-track undercarriages (2), a plough (9) provided for ballasting a track (6), and a ballast hopper (14) configured for storing ballast, the ballast hopper having a bottom conveyor belt (16) extending in a longitudinal direction (23) of the machine, characterized by the following features: a) the ballast hopper (14) is connected at a rear end (19)—with respect to a working direction (5)—to the machine frame (3) by means of a joint (22), b) a pivot drive (25) is provided for pivoting the hopper (14) about a joint axis (24), extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction (23) of the machine, of the joint (22), c) associated with a discharge end (18), spaced from the joint (22), of the bottom conveyor belt (16) is an unloading device (26) for passing the stored ballast (12) on to a storage wagon (27) adjoining the ballast plough (1).
 2. A ballast plough according to claim 1, characterized in that the unloading device (26) is configured as a transfer conveyor belt (28), extending in the longitudinal direction (23) of the machine and arranged underneath the bottom conveyor belt (16), which is adjustable by means of a displacement drive (29) into a transfer position projecting beyond the discharge end (18).
 3. A ballast plough according to claim 1, characterized in that the unloading device (26) is designed as an unloading chute (30) which is articulatedly fastened in the region of the discharge end (18) of the bottom conveyor belt (16) and can be pivoted. 